Published: July 8, 2025
“Number Four…”
The one that deflected Zoltan's sword and stood in front of him was a light blue golem, measuring 1.5 meters in height.
Number Four stood guard to protect Zack.
Behind them, a member of the Royal Knight Order was retrieving Zack.
Number Four didn’t pay attention to that scene.
It was as if they recognized it through their back… trusting that their companions would undoubtedly act accordingly…
Standing in front of Zoltan, sword drawn.
Like a refreshing breeze… Number Four's custom sword, ‘Murakumo Revision’, held in a ready stance.
Through interactions with the Royal Knight Order, they had evolved by being exposed to numerous sword techniques.
However, at its core, it was still the sword of its creator, Ryo.
“A small golem… is completely different from the white golem that fought against my golems. This is quite interesting.”
Zoltan murmured.
He also readied his sword but didn’t move.
As if he was trying to gauge Number Four's strength…
“There’s no doubt it’s a golem. It’s not made of metal but transparent… ice? Ice? Water attribute? Could it be related to the ‘water attribute mage’ that Zack mentioned earlier?”
No one answered Zoltan's murmur.
This was a battlefield.
Since it was a small voice, it only reached Number Four right in front of him.
And Number Four did not speak.
It was just that, by design, it couldn’t talk, but its stance seemed to imply…
Words are unnecessary for a swordsman. Speak with your sword.
It was as if it was saying that.
“Speak with your sword… How magnificent you look to make me feel that way.”
Even Zoltan couldn’t help but acknowledge it.
Especially since he had created golems himself, he felt it more profoundly.
“To give my golem such a magnificent aura is something I could not achieve. It’s not just about appearance; it naturally overflows because it possesses the appropriate strength. Even if that water attribute mage was not significant as a mage, just creating this golem could etch his name in history.”
Admiration.
To be honest, Zack had said that, but he hadn’t expected it to that extent.
What people call ‘amazing’ often turns out to be not so impressive for someone like a vampire duke… that was an experience he had gathered over thousands of years.
However, the golem standing in front of him was…
Magnificent.
“Nevertheless, the true evaluation of a golem can only be understood through combat.”
Murmuring that, Zoltan made a godspeed step, invading Number Four's range.
Clang, clang, clang…
Number Four deflected Zoltan’s consecutive strikes, flowing and countering.
“Even if small, its strength rivals that of a human, perhaps even that of us vampires. Truly impressive for a golem.”
Zoltan acknowledged Number Four's strength.
“No, even more so, the smoothness of its footwork… No, no, that's not it. The smooth use of its joints that I couldn’t achieve in my golems. It is because of that that it could flow with my sword. This is… incredible.”
Once again, Zoltan invaded Number Four's range, delivering consecutive strikes.
They matched swords several times.
Unable to land a decisive blow, he jumped back significantly to create distance.
“Quite impressive.”
For the umpteenth time, admiration slipped from his mouth.
“How did you actually acquire that? From head to toe, it’s perfect. You could say it’s a sort of ideal form for a swordsman. Even for humans, it’s difficult to master. Or is it more difficult precisely because it's human? Is it only possible for a golem? Intuitively, that’s how I feel… but if you ask me how I could make my golems reach this height, I couldn’t answer.”
Zoltan thought up to that point and suddenly looked beyond Number Four.
Zack, who had been given a potion and received a [heal], was seated and watching the two fight.
“The bond between a golem and a human…?”
A sudden flash sparked in Zoltan’s mind.
There was only one way to confirm it.
“Hey, Zack! Did you train this golem!”
He shouted the question.